ETQ Names New Chief Financial Officer

ETQ Appoints Risa Sparks as New Chief Financial Officer

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BURLINGTON, MASS.  – ETQ, part of Hexagon, announced that it has named Risa Sparks Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company. Sparks brings more than 20 years of leadership and global experience in finance, business operations, investment strategy and mergers and acquisitions (M&A), as well as enterprise SaaS software growth models. Sparks succeeds former CFO Rick Russo who played a major role in the company’s private-equity backed growth, ultimately leading to ETQ’s acquisition by Hexagon AB in April 2022.

Sparks is responsible for ETQ’s finance, accounting, legal and IT/business operations/security, as well as quality and compliance functions.

“I had the pleasure of previously working with Risa when we were both at enterprise software firm,  Everbridge, and I saw firsthand the expertise, leadership and global mindset that she brings to her work,” said Vick Vaishnavi, Chief Executive Officer, ETQ. “Her commitment to excellence and ability to scale companies to help them reach their next stage of growth aligns perfectly with ETQ’s evolution. We’re confident that Risa will continue the great work that her predecessor, Rick Russo, brought to the position.”

Prior to ETQ, Sparks was Senior Vice President of strategic finance and accounting at Panorama Education, a SaaS education software firm. There she led the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team, accounting and corporate development activities.

Previously, Sparks was Vice President, M&A integration at Everbridge, a SaaS-based enterprise safety software firm, where she built and led a global department and managed the integration and value creation for several key acquisitions comprising more than $400M of transaction value. She also held strategic finance positions with global firms such as edX, SunEdison, Chevron and Intel.

“ETQ’s solutions are driving quality for some of the world’s largest brands and there’s incredible opportunity for ETQ to expand its reach globally and into new markets,” said Risa Sparks. “I’m looking forward to helping the company scale and adapt to meet ever-changing customer needs and shape the next evolution in quality management.”

Sparks holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Engineering Management degree from Northwestern University; and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Executive Search Partnership: ETQ

ON Partners partner Lenny Vairo is proud to have partnered with ETQ on this CFO executive search placement. Additionally, ON Has partnered with ETQ on the placements of Chief Executive Officer, Vick Vaishnavi; Chief Revenue Officer, Russ Mellott and Chief Marketing Officer, Maureen Pienta. Review more of our executive search placements in our Executive Talent Report.

ETQ, part of Hexagon, is the leading provider of quality, EHS and compliance management software, trusted by the world’s strongest brands. More than 600 customers globally, spanning industries such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, heavy industry, food and beverage, and medical devices, rely on ETQ to secure positive brand reputations, enable higher levels of customer loyalty and enhance profitability. ETQ Reliance offers built-in best practices and powerful flexibility to drive business excellence through quality. Only ETQ lets customers configure industry-proven quality processes to their unique needs and business vision. ETQ was founded in 1992 and has main offices in the U.S. and Europe. To learn more about ETQ and its product offerings, visit www.etq.com.

Hexagon is a global leader in sensors, software and autonomous solutions. Learn more about Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) at hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB.

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